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Should we incorporate blogs into our marketing plan? |
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Many companies are waking up to the power of blogging as a weapon in their marketing arsenal.
Business media publishers are also aware of the power, and many view this new weapon with mixed emotions, according to a new study by the research firm Outsell, which shows that revenues from print ads are rapidly dwindling as the world continues to shift its attention for news and entertainment toward the Internet. Web (b)logs have truly put the power of the press into the hands of anyone with access to a computer, and they have gained respect of mainstream business media as legitimate communication channels.
Most top tier business media outlets, from major metro dailies to the big weekly and monthly brands, now host their own online 'discussion forums' or blogs. Most of these blogs are outlets for their top writers.
And companies that still view blogs as being populated exclusively by political extremists and people with too much time on their hands should reconsider their thinking and take note of the way the publishing world is changing to accommodate the medium. What this may mean for your company? It is hard to tell. On one hand, blogs can be a powerful communications device, one that presents a global audience for your message, but one that requires some skill in navigating. On the other, companies can run into trouble by using blogs to disseminate their own corporate positions without considering that blogs are meant as discussion forums, not corporate messaging platforms. Never forget that bloggers took down Dan Rather when they detected his political agenda.
Contact us if you’d like to understand how blogs may or may not fit into your marketing and communications programs.
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